DC Pulse


  • DLA Piper, More Boutiques Meet, Exceed Milbank Bonus Scale

    Bonus news continued over the holiday week, with several law firms announcing they'll follow or exceed Milbank LLP's lead on 2024 associate bonuses, and others reversing their stance on special bonuses, according to memos shared with Law360 Pulse and media reports.

  • mergesign.jpg

    After Busy 2024, Law Firms Eye More Mergers In Year Ahead

    The popularity of U.S. law firm combinations surged in 2024, with announcements increasing by about a dozen year-over-year and approaching historic heights, according to data collected by Law360 Pulse, but law firm merger consultants say a robust pipeline of deal talks could mean a busier 2025.

  • How Jimmy Carter Transformed The Federal Bench

    Former President Jimmy Carter, who died Sunday, presided over the country's largest judicial expansion, an opportunity he seized to fill seats on the federal bench with more women and people of color than ever before.

  • 3_up_Harris Beach Murtha.png

    Harris Beach Murtha Launches As Combined Firm

    As the new year begins, Harris Beach PLLC and Murtha Cullina LLP are starting a new chapter — their combination is complete, and the two firms are now operating as Harris Beach Murtha.

  • iStock-2187096855.jpg

    Here's Where Mid-Law Leaders Will Be Focused In 2025

    Mid-Law leaders entering 2025 say that they are optimistic about the new year but also focused on potential challenges, such as the rise of generative artificial intelligence tools, succession planning and ensuring that any growth they are experiencing is sustainable.

  • iStock-2172394786.jpg

    Fed. Court Reforms Face Long Odds Amid GOP Control In '25

    Some modest reforms to the federal courts may be enacted in the coming years, but major changes championed by Democrats and judicial reform activists are likely "dead in the water" now that Republicans will be controlling Congress and the White House in 2025, reform advocates say.

  • iStock-2160750172.jpg

    Lit Finance Enters '25 On Solid Ground Amid Disclosure Push

    The $15 billion U.S. litigation finance industry has come a long way in recent years, but demands for more transparency from pro-business groups and the defense bar could present a significant challenge in the year ahead.

  • iStock-2186729480.jpg

    The Biggest Cases At State Supreme Courts In 2025

    Abortion access, education funding and mandatory prison sentences are among the high-profile issues on state supreme courts' dockets in 2025, as attorneys and activists increasingly turn away from the U.S. Supreme Court and instead look to the states to protect certain constitutional rights, experts say.

  • iStock-2171455404.jpg

    These Issues Will Be Top Of Mind For Small Firms In '25

    As the calendar turns from 2024 to 2025, small-firm attorneys and solo practitioners across the U.S. are facing a constellation of new and old issues, from dealing with new regulations to confronting the longstanding challenges of keeping a small business alive.

  • iStock-2153983350.jpg

    BigLaw Lobbying Leaders See 'Fast And Furious' Year Ahead

    Leaders of BigLaw lobbying shops expect an action-packed year as President-elect Donald Trump comes into power again and a new Congress takes over in Washington.

  • iStock-2153334068.jpg

    DC Managing Partners On Their New Year's Priorities

    As the new year ushers in seismic political change in the nation's capital, office managing partners at Washington, D.C., law firms are monitoring how client needs will change amid regulatory shifts, focusing on recruiting and developing talent, while continuing to figure out how to keep people engaged in a hybrid work environment.

  • The Top 5 High Court Cases To Watch This Spring

    The U.S. Supreme Court justices will return from the winter holidays to tackle major First Amendment questions and several administrative law disputes — all arising from the Fifth Circuit — that could further change how federal agencies promulgate rules and defend them.

  • iStock-1409417258.jpg

    Legal Ethics Matters To Watch In 2025

    After an eventful 2024, industry experts are looking ahead to what might be the big topics in legal ethics in the new year, including the ethics implications of artificial intelligence and ethics opinions that may be relevant to attorneys in the incoming second Trump administration.

  • iStock-981323312.jpg

    What's Keeping Law Firm Leaders Up At Night In 2025

    Law firms have experienced rapid change and growth in recent years, and 2025 will likely be no different. Firm leaders told Law360 Pulse they are bracing to respond quickly to a number of different opportunities likely to arise in the new year.

  • Trump Seeks High Court's Pause Of TikTok Sale-Or-Ban Law

    President-elect Donald Trump has urged the U.S. Supreme Court to freeze the impending deadline for TikTok to divest from its Chinese parent company or face a nationwide ban, suggesting his new administration could negotiate a deal that would end the need for the congressional mandate.

  • iStock-1569951256.jpg

    Biden Vetoes Bill To Add New Judgeships

    President Joe Biden vetoed a bill Monday that would have added more federal judgeships, despite the judiciary's plea that more seats on the bench are needed desperately.

  • chad-mizelle.png

    Trump Taps Ex-Homeland Security Atty As DOJ Chief Of Staff

    President-elect Donald Trump has tapped Chad Mizelle, who formerly held top legal roles at Trump's Department of Homeland Security and is married to Trump-appointed U.S. District Judge Kathryn K. Mizelle, as chief of staff at the Department of Justice.

  • iStock-1180321075.jpg

    Public Faith In State Courts Up As Trust In Fed. Courts Sinks

    Public confidence in state courts seems to be rising at the same time that trust in the federal courts and overall judicial system is plummeting, according to recent surveys that paint drastically divergent pictures of people's faith in state and national judicial systems.

  • Alston & Bird, Arnold & Porter Unveil Associate Bonuses

    Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer LLP and Alston & Bird LLP told associates Monday they'd be receiving year-end bonuses that meet the prevailing scale for large law firms set by Milbank LLP in November — as long as they meet certain billable hours requirements, according to media reports.

  • jan-dogs.png

    Sheppard Mullin Pet Calendar Nets Nearly $11K For Charity

    Sheppard Mullin's New York office has launched a firmwide holiday pet calendar — featuring not only cats and dogs but also a donkey, peacocks, some lizards, a few guinea pigs and three little soccer-playing fish — that has raised nearly $11,000 for charity.

  • katya-headshot.png

    Lessons In 'Value-Centered Lawyering' From Atty Turned Prof

    Katya Cronin, a professor at George Washington University Law School and former BigLaw attorney, argued in a recent academic paper that law schools need to do more to encourage students to examine their personal values and pursue legal careers in line with them.

  • Danya Perry.jpg

    What 2024 Looked Like For 4 Small Firms

    A lot can happen in a year for small firms. Law360 Pulse caught up with four, some just getting started and others with long legacies, to talk about what their 2024 looked like.

  • Patton_Jen_25677.jpg

    Foley & Lardner's New COO Wants To 'Champion' Firm Culture

    As Jen Cafferty Patton moves up from chief talent officer to chief operating officer at Foley & Lardner LLP, she says she is prioritizing keeping the firm’s people-focused culture strong for both employees and clients.

  • retouched Magic before sunrise.jpg

    How DC Students Help Blank Rome Spread Holiday Cheer

    In a tradition stretching back just over a quarter century, Blank Rome LLP taps into the Washington, D.C., community by hosting a competition for students at a local arts-focused high school to submit designs for the annual holiday card sent out to the firm’s thousands of clients.

  • House Report Says Gaetz Paid For Sex, Accepted Gifts

    Former U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz regularly paid women for sex, including with one 17-year-old girl, used illicit drugs and accepted a trip to the Bahamas in excess of permissible gift amounts, according to a report released Monday morning by the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Ethics.

Can't find the article you're looking for? Click here to search the DC Pulse archive.
×

Law360

Law360 Law360 UK Law360 Tax Authority Law360 Employment Authority Law360 Insurance Authority Law360 Real Estate Authority Law360 Healthcare Authority Law360 Bankruptcy Authority

Rankings

NEWLeaderboard Analytics Social Impact Leaders Prestige Leaders Pulse Leaderboard Women in Law Report Law360 400 Diversity Snapshot Rising Stars Summer Associates

National Sections

Modern Lawyer Courts Daily Litigation In-House Mid-Law Legal Tech Small Law Insights

Regional Sections

California Pulse Connecticut Pulse DC Pulse Delaware Pulse Florida Pulse Georgia Pulse New Jersey Pulse New York Pulse Pennsylvania Pulse Texas Pulse

Site Menu

Subscribe Advanced Search About Contact